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Westgate
Westgate is a seedy and squalid metropolis—with a history in piracy, powerful crime syndicates, and nameless vampiric crime-lords. Westgate thrived on black-market trade and corruption and was perhaps one of the most sordid cities in all of Faerun. The legacy of scoundrels and spies was found in every alley, and danger lurked for the unprepared in every corner. It was an open city that welcomed all travelers and citizens alike as long as they abided by the local laws and, of course, had enough coin. It was probably the oldest, richest and most corrupt port on the Sea of Fallen Stars. It received the nickname "Gateway to the West" from its role as the Inner Sea's most prolific port city. A person from Westgate was known as a Westar or a Westhavian. History This area of the Dragon Coast was first settled by humans from the Vilhon Reach roughly 3,000 years ago. The largest place was the human town of Westgate, ruled cruelly by the great topaz dragon Kisonraathiisar. In -349 DR, Saldrinar destroyed Kisonraathiisar and became Westgate's first human king. Im -286 DR, the vampire Orlak and a small army of mercenaries captured the city in a single night. Orlak proclaimed himself the Night King and ruled until he is defeated by a group of Lathander-worshipping paladins in -157 DR. In 257 DR, pirates from the Pirate Isles invaded Westgate and began the 200-year-long reign of the Pirate Kings. After the Spellplague, the Sea of Fallen Stars began to drain into the Underdark. The lower water level caused the shoreline to recede and, for a time, the harbor of Westgate was left high and dry. The docks were rebuilt on the new shoreline and the new dock area was known as Tidetown. Foreign Policy By the Year of the Ageless One, 1479 DR, Westgate was one of the few free cities left on the Dragon Coast not occupied by either Cormyr or Sembia. In order to preserve its independence Westgate played both powers against each other, perhaps even supporting insurrections within Cormyr's borders to stem its expansionism. Notable Locations Inns, Taverns, and Festhalls * Bent Mermaid Inn * Big Edna's Tavern * Black Boot Inn * Black Eye (tavern and festhall): Located in the heart of the city at the southern edge of Dragonmere Yards, this tavern is owned by the Stormshields, a famed adventuring party, and the subject of the ballad "Battle of the Springtime Snow." It is also a popular haunt of the local teifling community * Blais House Inn * Blind Eye (tavern) * Blue Banner (tavern and inn in the Shou Quarter) * Burgundy House: an affordable boarding house on Pier 4 * Chardonnay House: an affordable boarding house on Pier 4 * Empty Fish Tavern * Gatereach Inn * Gentle Moon Inn * Jolly Warrior Inn * Leaning Man (inn) * Lilda's (festhall in The Shoreward) * Old Beard Tavern * Purple Lady Festhall (owned by Ilira Nathalan) * Rising Raven Inn and Rooming House * Rosebud Tavern * Rotten Root Tavern * Spitting Cockatrice (inn) * Westward Eye (inn) Shops * Dragonmere Yards: a large shopping complex located in the heart of the city comprised of numerous shops and storefronts, including: ** Pier 4 Imports: fine furniture and other fine non-perishable imports ** Temae Tea and Spice Market ** Mirian Glassworks: glass blower specializing in colored glass beads, stemware, and art (including glass pipes) ** Taranzo Tile and Ceramics ** Taranzo Ivory & Jade ** Prespur Leadworks ** The Gilded Gadroon: goldsmith and gold jewelry ** Deluca's Vine Fine Wines ** Dean's Cheeses: artisanal cheeses ** Lady Love's Flower Market: the city's best fresh flower market, located at the Shrine to Sune * Aurora's Emporium: curio shop * Gondeth's Mageries: magic shop * House of Silks: fine textiles shop * Chalaratha's Fragrances: perfume shop and factory * Dawn's Dress Shop * Imryth Tower (residence of Audara Imryth, potion shop, and Harper safehouse) * Myrkeer House: merchant house of Shalush Myrkeer Temples to Good Gods * Morningstar Haven: Temple of Pelor-Lathandar * Fortuneboon Hall: Temple of Tymora * House of Ilmater: Temple of Illmater * A shrine to Sune : a water fountain in the heart of the city, and site of Lady Love's flower market Temples to Neutral Gods * House of the Sun: Temple of Amaunator * House of the Wheel: Temple of Gond * The Hidden House: Temple of Leira (subterranean) * House of Steel: Abandoned Temple of Garagos and subterranean lair of the vampire Kirenkirsalai. Temples to Evil Gods * Whitecap Hall: Temple of Umberlee * House of Winds: Temple of Talos * Painbliss Hall: Temple of Loviatar * The Place of Waiting Death: Temple of Talona (subterranean) * House of Spires and Shadows: Temple of Mask; also called The Shadowspires. Abandoned circa 1480 DR. Other Locations * Six Gates: Westgate's stout city walls had six gates. Counter-clockwise from the northernmost gate: The Water Gate, The West Gate, Mulsantir's Gate, The South Gate, The River Gate, and The East Gate. * Westlight: The Harbor Tower lighthouse * Old Harbor Bell: The original harbor bell, now a historic landmark, is located near the end of Pier 4 * Dragonmere Alliance Compound: Former site of the Malavhan Docks, this large complex in the heart of the city comprises the area between Pier 2 and Pier 6. Previously open to foot traffic, the area is now secured by a wall designed to allow public access to the storefronts of Dragonmere Yards shopping complex, while barring public access to the piers themselves. * Westgate Academy: Formerly the ancestral home of the Malavhan family (who departed Westgate in 1380 under mysterious circumstances), this stately complex, situated on a rocky bluff at the southeastern edge of the city, was purchased by the Dragonmere Alliance, along with the rest of the family's local holdings, and now serves multiple functions. Publicly, it houses the consular offices of the Dragonmere Alliance in Westgate, as well as the continental headquarters of the Paragnostic Assembly. Aside from hosting their annual convention there, the Assembly has also opened a school there, called Westgate Academy, the name by which the complex is now known. Secretly, however, Westgate Academy serves as the regional head office of the Moonstars, and houses one of the only known portals to Silver Safehaven, their extra-planar fortress. * The Shore: A slum ward, just outside The River Gate. * Shou Quarter: District home to many immigrant Shou. * Paragnostic Credit Union of Faerun (PCUF): A bank and moneylender operated by the Paragnostic Assembly. It has numerous branches throughout Faerun, with a major branch a the base of Pier 2. * Castle Thalavar: Gedrin Thalavar's childhood home and headquarters of the Eye of Justice. * Lair of the Night Masters: Formerly the lair of the vampire Orbahk. * Tidetown: New dock district built after the sea level of the Sea of Fallen Stars dropped. * Darkdance Manor: Home of House Darkdance and ancestral home of Myrin Darkdance. * Timeless Blade: Fencing school * The Quivering Thumb: Gladiatorial games with gambling. Inhabitants * Lord Hamma Taranzo: Head Consul of the Dragonmere Alliance Trading Coaster (cover identity), and current head of the Moonstar Council * Lord Junipero "Joon" Solowyn: Deputy Consul of the Dragonmere Alliance Trading Coaster, he oversees the daily operations of the company for the Taranzo family * Clyde The Cleaver: Information broker & underworld figure. Notorious for his hand axe of Sharpness * Gedrin Thalavar: Founder of the Eye of Justice * Gul The Grim: Dwarven Leader & figurehead of the Westgate underworld * King Verovan: last King of Westgate who during a ship race against the Red Wizards of Thay was tricked into turning his whole crew into stone; the Red Wizards had secretly replaced his whip with one braided with a cockatrice feather. * Lord Topaz: Mercenary, assassin, bounty hunter, and unofficial contractor for the Night Masks. Affiliated with Waterdeep's Assassin's Guild of the VenomBlade. * Mintassan the Magnificent * Zedrick Neely: Leader of the Night Masks Organizations and Factions * The Moonstars: An offshoot of the Harpers, this organization has its secret regional headquarters in Westgate Academy * Eye of Justice: Paladin order dedicated to the worship of the Threefold God * Fire Knives: Assassins' guild at war with the Nine Golden Swords. * Night Masks (guild): Thieves guild driven out of Westgate by the Eye of Justice in 1391 DR. * Nine Golden Swords: Shou organization with criminal roots by way of Telflamm; opposes the Fire Knives * Zhentarim: mercenary company * Mercenaries' Guild of Westgate: mercenary company Noble Houses As Westgate is a free city and mercantile oligarchy, the city's Noble Houses are all powerful merchant families, each the nominal head of their own trading company. * Athagdal: symbol is a set of russet weighing scales * Bleth: symbol is seven suns * Cormaeril: symbol is a red wyvern and a silver horn * Guldar: symbol is a black hawk * Malavhan: symbol is a red sun * Ssemm: symbol is an ivory bird's claw * Taranzo: symbol is a black winged horse rearing up * Thalavar: symbol is a green feather * Thorsar: symbol is a blue hand holding corn * Urdo: symbol is a yellow eye * Vhammos: symbol is a steel-gray open hand * Malavhan (inactive): symbol is a red sun